Eddie VedderEddie Vedder (born Edward Louis Severson III; December 23, 1964) is an
American musician, multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter best
known as a member of the rock band Pearl Jam, with whom he performs
lead vocals and is one of three guitarists. He is known for his
powerful baritone vocals. He also appeared as a guest vocalist in
Temple of the Dog, the one-off tribute band dedicated to the late
singer Andrew Wood.
He is also involved in making music and contributes to albums by other
artists. In 2007, Vedder released his first solo album as a soundtrack
for the film Into the Wild (2007). His second album
UkuleleUkulele Songs and
a live DVD titled
Water on the Road were released in 2011.
Vedder was inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of FameRock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of
Pearl JamPearl Jam on April 7, 2017.[4]

Early life[edit]
Vedder was born Edward Louis Severson III in the Chicago suburb
of Evanston, Illinois, on December 23, 1964, to Karen Lee Vedder and
Edward Louis Severson, Jr.[5][6] His parents divorced in 1965, when
Vedder was an infant. His mother soon remarried, to a man named Peter
Mueller. Vedder was raised believing that Mueller was his biological
father, and he went by the name Edward Mueller for a time.[7] Vedder's
ancestry includes Dutch, German and Danish.[5][6]
While living in Evanston, Vedder's family fostered seven younger
children in a group home.[8] In the mid-1970s, the family, including
Vedder's three younger half-brothers, moved to San Diego County,
California. It was at this point that Vedder, who had received a
guitar from his mother on his twelfth birthday, began turning to music
(as well as surfing) as a source of comfort. He particularly found
solace in The Who's 1973 album, Quadrophenia.[9] He said, "When I was
around 15 or 16... I felt all alone... I was all alone—except for
music."[10] His mother and Mueller divorced when Vedder was in his
late teens. His mother and brothers moved back to the Chicago area,
but Vedder remained with his stepfather in California so he would not
have to change high schools.
After the divorce, Vedder learned the truth about his parentage:
Mueller was really his stepfather. Vedder had met his biological
father briefly as a child, but had believed that Severson was merely
an old friend of his parents. By the time Vedder learned the truth,
Severson had died of multiple sclerosis. By his senior year at San
Dieguito High School, Vedder was on his own, living in an apartment
and supporting himself with a nightly job at a drug store in
Encinitas.[10] He eventually dropped out of high school in his senior
year due to the pressures of balancing school with working.[10] He
joined the rest of his family in Chicago, and it was at this time that
he changed his name to Eddie Vedder, Vedder being his mother's maiden
name.
In the early 1980s, while working as a waiter, Eddie earned his high
school GED, and briefly attended a community college near
Chicago.[7][11] In 1984, Vedder returned to San Diego, with his
girlfriend,
Beth Liebling and his friend Frank. He kept busy recording
demo tapes at his home and working various jobs, including a position
as a contracted security guard at the La Valencia Hotel in La
Jolla.[12] Vedder had several stints in San Diego area bands,
including Surf and Destroy and The Butts.[8] One of those bands,
called Indian Style,[13] included future
Rage Against the MachineRage Against the Machine and
AudioslaveAudioslave drummer Brad Wilk.[14] In 1988, Vedder became the vocalist
for the San Diego progressive funk rock band Bad Radio. The music of
the original incarnation of the band was influenced by Duran Duran;
however, after Vedder joined Bad Radio, the band moved on to a more
alternative rock sound influenced by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.[15]
Temple of the Dog[edit]
Main article: Temple of the Dog
In the 1980s he worked part-time as a night attendant at a local gas
station.[16] Through the Southern California music scene, Vedder met
former
Red Hot Chili PeppersRed Hot Chili Peppers drummer Jack Irons, who became a friend
of Vedder and would play basketball with him.[17] Later in 1990, Irons
gave him a demo tape from a band in Seattle, Washington, that was
looking for a singer. He listened to the tape shortly before going
surfing, where lyrics came to him.[18] Vedder wrote lyrics for three
of the songs in what he later described as a "mini-opera" entitled
Momma-Son. The songs tell the story of a young man who, like Vedder,
learns that he had been lied to about his paternity and that his real
father is dead, grows up to become a serial killer, and is eventually
imprisoned and sentenced to death.[18] Vedder recorded vocals for the
three songs, and mailed the demo tape back to Seattle. The three songs
would later become Pearl Jam's "Alive", "Once", and "Footsteps".
After hearing Vedder's tape, former
Mother Love Bone members Stone
Gossard and
Jeff AmentJeff Ament invited Vedder to come to
SeattleSeattle to audition
for their new band. They were instantly impressed with his unique
sound. At the time, Gossard and Ament were working on the Temple of
the Dog project founded by Soundgarden's
Chris CornellChris Cornell as a musical
tribute to Mother Love Bone's frontman Andrew Wood, who died of a
heroin overdose at age 24.
SoundgardenSoundgarden drummer
Matt CameronMatt Cameron and
newcomer
Mike McCreadyMike McCready were also a part of the project. The song
"Hunger Strike" became a duet between Cornell and Vedder. Cornell
later said of Vedder that "he sang half of that song not even knowing
that I'd wanted the part to be there and he sang it exactly the way I
was thinking about doing it, just instinctively."[19] Vedder would
provide background vocals on several other songs as well. In April
1991,
Temple of the DogTemple of the Dog was released through A&M Records. "Hunger
Strike" became Temple of the Dog's breakout single; it was also
Vedder's first featured vocal on a record.[20] Vedder said about the
song in the 2009 book
GrungeGrunge Is Dead; "I really like hearing that
song. I feel like I could be real proud of it – because one, I
didn't write it, and two, it was such a nice way to be ushered onto
vinyl for the first time. I'm indebted to Chris [Cornell] time eternal
for being invited onto that track."[21] On the 2011 documentary Pearl
Jam Twenty, Vedder stated; “That was the first time I heard myself
on a real record. It could be one of my favorite songs that I’ve
ever been on – or the most meaningful.”[22] Vedder and Cornell
performed the song together for the last time on October 26, 2014 at
the Bridge School Benefit.[23]
Pearl Jam[edit]
Main article: Pearl Jam
Pearl JamPearl Jam was formed in 1990 by Ament, Gossard, and McCready,[18] who
then recruited Vedder and three different drummers in
sequence.[8][24][25] The band originally took the name Mookie
Blaylock, but was forced to change it when the band signed to Epic
Records in 1991, instead calling their debut album Ten, after
Blaylock's jersey number.
Ten brought the band into the mainstream, and became one of the best
selling alternative albums of the 1990s, being certified 13x Platinum.
The band found itself amidst the sudden popularity and attention given
to the
SeattleSeattle music scene and the genre known as grunge. The single
"Jeremy" received
Grammy AwardGrammy Award nominations for Best Rock Song and Best
Hard Rock Performance in 1993.[26]
Pearl JamPearl Jam received four awards at
the 1993
MTV Video Music AwardsMTV Video Music Awards for its music video for "Jeremy",
including Video of the Year and Best Group Video.[27] Ten ranks number
207 on
Rolling StoneRolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all
time,[28] and "Jeremy" was ranked number 11 on VH1's list of the 100
greatest songs of the '90s.[29]

Eddie VedderEddie Vedder appeared on the cover of the October 25, 1993 issue of
Time, as part of the feature article discussing the rising popularity
of the grunge movement. Vedder had declined to participate, and was
upset with the magazine about the cover.[30]

Following an intense touring schedule, the band went into the studio
to record what would become its second studio album, Vs., released in
1993. Upon its release, Vs. set the record at the time for most copies
of an album sold in a week,[31] and spent five weeks at number one on
the Billboard 200. Vs. was nominated for a
Grammy AwardGrammy Award for Best Rock
Album in 1995.[32] From Vs., the song "Daughter" received a Grammy
nomination for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and
the song "Go" received a Grammy nomination for Best Hard Rock
Performance.[33]
Feeling the pressures of success, with much of the burden of Pearl
Jam's popularity falling on Vedder,[18] the band decided to decrease
the level of promotion for its albums, including refusing to release
music videos.[34] Vedder's issue with fame came from what he stated as
"what happens when a lot of these people start thinking you can change
their lives or save their lives or whatever and create these
impossible fuckin' expectations that in the end just start tearing you
apart."[35] In 1994, the band began a much-publicized boycott of
Ticketmaster, which lasted for three years and limited the band's
ability to tour in the United States.[36] Vedder faced what he called
a "pretty intense stalker problem" during the mid-1990s. Vedder would
refer to the issue in the song "Lukin" from No Code.
Later that same year the band released its third studio album,
Vitalogy, which became the band's third straight album to reach
multi-platinum status. It was at this time that Vedder began to be
featured more on rhythm guitar, as well as on back up vocals and some
drumming. The pressure of fame is a common theme of Vedder's songs on
the album.[37] The album received Grammy nominations for Album of the
Year and Best Rock Album in 1996.[38]
VitalogyVitalogy was ranked number 492
on
Rolling StoneRolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all
time.[28] The lead single "Spin the Black Circle" won a Grammy Award
in 1996 for Best Hard Rock Performance.[32] Although Dave Abbruzzese
performed on the album Vitalogy, he was fired in August 1994, four
months before the album was released.[39] The band cited political
differences between Abbruzzese and the other members; for example, he
disagreed with the
TicketmasterTicketmaster boycott.[39] He was replaced by Jack
Irons, a close friend of Vedder and the former and original drummer of
the Red Hot Chili Peppers.[8]

Regarding the approach
Pearl JamPearl Jam took after its initial success,
Vedder stated, "We've had the luxury of writing our own job
description...and that description has basically been cut down to just
one line: make music."[40] The band subsequently released
No CodeNo Code in
1996 and Yield in 1998. In 1998, prior to Pearl Jam's U.S. Yield Tour,
Irons left the band due to dissatisfaction with touring.[41] Pearl Jam
enlisted former
SoundgardenSoundgarden drummer
Matt CameronMatt Cameron as Irons' replacement
on an initially temporary basis,[41] but he soon became the permanent
replacement for Irons. "Do the Evolution" (from Yield) received a
Grammy nomination for Best Hard Rock Performance.[42] In 1998, Pearl
Jam recorded "Last Kiss", a cover of a 1960s ballad made famous by J.
Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers. It was released on the band's 1998 fan
club Christmas single; however, by popular demand, the cover was
released to the public as a single in 1999. "Last Kiss" peaked at
number two on the Billboard charts and became the band's
highest-charting single.
In 2000, the band released its sixth studio album, Binaural, and
initiated a successful and ongoing series of official bootlegs. The
band released seventy-two such live albums in 2000 and 2001, and set a
record for most albums to debut in the
Billboard 200Billboard 200 at the same
time.[43] "Grievance" (from Binaural) received a Grammy nomination for
Best Hard Rock Performance.[44] The band released its seventh studio
album, Riot Act, in 2002. Pearl Jam's contribution to the 2003 film
Big Fish, titled "Man of the Hour," was nominated for a Golden Globe
Award in 2004.[45] The band's eighth studio album, the eponymous Pearl
Jam, was released in 2006. The band released its ninth studio album,
Backspacer, in 2009 and its tenth studio album, Lightning Bolt, in
2013.
Vedder uses the pseudonym "Jerome Turner" on
Pearl JamPearl Jam records for his
non-musical contributions such as design and artwork. He has also used
the pseudonym "Wes C. Addle" ("West Seattle").
Other musical projects[edit]

Soundtrack contributions[edit]
Vedder has contributed solo material to several soundtracks and
compilations, including the soundtracks for the films Dead Man Walking
(1995),
I Am SamI Am Sam (2001),
A Brokedown Melody (2004), Body of War
(2007), and
Reign Over MeReign Over Me (2007). Vedder collaborated with Pakistani
musician
Nusrat Fateh Ali KhanNusrat Fateh Ali Khan for his contributions to the Dead Man
Walking soundtrack. He covered The Beatles' "You've Got to Hide Your
Love Away" for the
I Am SamI Am Sam soundtrack. Vedder wrote "Man of the Hour"
that
Pearl JamPearl Jam recorded for Tim Burton's
Big FishBig Fish Soundtrack (2003).
Vedder wrote two songs for the 2007 feature documentary, Body of War,
produced by
Ellen SpiroEllen Spiro and Phil Donahue: "No More" (a song referring
to the Iraq War) and "Long Nights". Vedder and the supergroup The
Million Dollar Bashers, which includes members from Sonic Youth,
Wilco, and Bob Dylan's band, covered Dylan's "All Along the
Watchtower" for the biopic film,
I'm Not ThereI'm Not There (2007). Pearl Jam
recorded a cover version of The Who's song "Love, Reign o'er Me" for
the film Reign Over Me, which takes its title from the song. In 2010,
Vedder recorded a new song, "Better Days", which appeared on the
soundtrack to the 2010 film Eat Pray Love.[46][47]
Into the Wild[edit]
Main article: Into the Wild (soundtrack)

Vedder contributed an album's worth of songs to the soundtrack for the
2007 film, Into the Wild. The soundtrack was released on September 18,
2007 through J Records. It includes covers of the Indio song "Hard
Sun" and the Jerry Hannan song "Society".[48] Vedder said that having
to write songs based on a narrative "simplified things". He said,
"There were fewer choices. The story was there and the scenes were
there."[49] Vedder's songs written for the film feature a folk sound.
Thom Jurek of
AllMusicAllMusic called the soundtrack a "collection of folksy,
rootsy tunes where rock & roll makes fleeting appearances."[50]
Vedder won a 2008
Golden Globe AwardGolden Globe Award for the song "Guaranteed" from
Into the Wild.[51] He was also nominated for a
Golden Globe AwardGolden Globe Award for
his contributions to the film's original score.[52] At the 2008 Grammy
Awards, "Guaranteed" received a nomination for Best Song Written for a
Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media.[53] "Guaranteed" was
also nominated a 2008 World Soundtrack Award in the category of Best
Original Song Written Directly for a Film.[54] At the 2009 Grammy
Awards, "Rise" received a nomination for Best Rock Vocal Performance,
Solo.[55]
Vedder promoted the Into the Wild soundtrack with his first solo tour,
which began in April 2008. The April leg of the tour, dubbed the
"April Fools Tour", began in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada at
The Centre on April 2, 2008 and was composed of ten dates focusing on
the West Coast of the United States.[56][57] Vedder continued the tour
with a second leg in August 2008 composed of fourteen dates focusing
on the East Coast and Canada.[58] The second leg of the tour began in
Boston, MassachusettsBoston, Massachusetts at the Boston Opera House and ended in Chicago,
Illinois at the Auditorium Theatre.[59] In June 2009, Vedder followed
his 2008 solo tour with another solo tour composed of fourteen dates
focusing on the Eastern United States and Hawaii, which began in
Albany, New YorkAlbany, New York at the Palace Theatre and continued through to
HonoluluHonolulu at the Hawaii Theatre.[60]
UkuleleUkulele Songs[edit]
Vedder released his second solo album titled
UkuleleUkulele Songs, a
collection of original songs and covers performed on the ukulele, on
May 31, 2011. The first single from the album, "Longing to Belong",
was released through digital retailers on March 21. A live DVD titled
Water on the Road, featuring live performances from two shows in
Washington, D.C. during Vedder's 2008 solo tour, was released the same
day as
UkuleleUkulele Songs.
Collaborations[edit]
In addition to playing with
Pearl JamPearl Jam and Temple of the Dog, Vedder
has performed or recorded with numerous well-known artists. He has
appeared on albums by The Who, Ramones, Neil Young, R.E.M., Neil Finn,
Bad Religion, Mark Seymour, Cat Power, Mike Watt, Fastbacks, Wellwater
Conspiracy, Jack Irons, and John Doe, and has also recorded with The
Strokes, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Supersuckers, Susan Sarandon, and
Zeke. In the months of June and July 2006, Vedder made live
performances jamming with
Tom PettyTom Petty and the Heartbreakers, singing on
many tracks, including lead vocals on "The Waiting" and backing vocals
on "American Girl". Vedder performed the songs "Break on Through (To
the Other Side)", "Light My Fire" and "Roadhouse Blues" with the
remaining members of
The DoorsThe Doors at the 1993 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
induction ceremony. He also performed with
R.E.M.R.E.M. at the 2007 Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony and with
The StoogesThe Stooges at the 2010
Rock and Roll Hall of FameRock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Vedder made a guest
appearance at the Ramones' last show on August 6, 1996 at the Palace
in Hollywood.[61] Vedder has also performed live on stage with some of
the biggest names in music and film including Pete Townshend, Paul
McCartney, Rolling Stones, U2, Bruce Springsteen, Robert Plant, Roger
Waters, Sting, Peter Gabriel, Cat Stevens, Chris Martin, Flea,
Beyoncé, Bryan Adams, Ben Harper, Jack Johnson, Roger Daltrey, Jay-Z,
Kings of Leon, Dave Grohl, Chad Smith, Perry Farrell, Cheap Trick, The
Strokes, My Morning Jacket, Beck, Sheryl Crow, Jerry Cantrell, Andrew
Stockdale, Josh Homme, Mike Ness, Neil Young, Guided By Voices, Ace
Frehley, Dave Matthews, Elvis Costello, X (American band), Natalie
Maines, Tim Robbins, Johnny Depp, Adam Sandler, Jeanne Tripplehorn,
Glen Hansard, Simon Townshend,
Joe ElliottJoe Elliott and many others.
In film[edit]
Vedder had a brief acting cameo in the 1992 movie, Singles, along with
Jeff AmentJeff Ament and
Stone GossardStone Gossard of Pearl Jam. He appeared as himself,
playing drums in lead actor Matt Dillon's backing band, Citizen
Dick.[62] He was also interviewed for the 1996 grunge documentary,
Hype!Hype! He appears in the 2003
RamonesRamones documentary, End of the Century:
The Story of the Ramones. In 2007, he made a cameo as himself in the
comedy film, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. He appears in the 2007
Tom PettyTom Petty documentary, Runnin' Down a Dream, the 2008 political
documentary, Slacker Uprising, and the 2009
Howard ZinnHoward Zinn documentary,
The People Speak, based upon A People's History of the United
States.[63] He was featured in the 2008 Greg Kohs documentary, Song
Sung Blue, performing with Lightning and Thunder. He had a one-scene
cameo in the second episode of the second season of the IFC television
show Portlandia. He also appears in the 2012 documentary West of
Memphis, due to his protesting against the case. Vedder made an
appearance in the season 3 episode 16 of David Lynch's Twin Peaks Aug
2017. He was referred to by his birth name, Edward Louis Severson.
Activism[edit]
Vedder is known for his social and political views. Discussing his
views on current issues in the United States, Vedder said, "People on
death row, the treatment of animals, women's right to choose. So much
in
AmericaAmerica is based on religious fundamentalist Christianity. Grow up!
This is the modern world!"[64] In 1992, Spin printed an article by
Vedder, entitled "Reclamation", which detailed his views on
abortion.[65] Vedder and
Pearl JamPearl Jam have consistently supported
abortion rights and performed at
Rock for Choice in 1994.[66] Vedder
was outspoken in support of Green Party presidential candidate Ralph
Nader in 2000 and played at Green Party super rallies in Chicago and
New York City.[67]
Pearl JamPearl Jam played a series of concerts on the 2004
Vote for ChangeVote for Change tour, supporting the candidacy of
John KerryJohn Kerry for U.S.
President. Vedder told
Rolling StoneRolling Stone magazine, "I supported Ralph
Nader in 2000, but it's a time of crisis. We have to get a new
administration in."[68] In 2005, during Pearl Jam's first South
American tour, Vedder stated, to the immediate and effusive support
from the crowd in Rio de Janeiro, that "next time we come to Brazil,
the world will be a better place to live, as George Bush will no
longer be the President of the United States." Vedder supported the
candidacy of
Barack ObamaBarack Obama in 2008[69] and 2012,[70] and Bernie Sanders
in 2016.
In his spare time, Vedder is a surfer and active in surf-related
conservation efforts, most notably The Surfrider Foundation.[71]
Vedder shows his support for environmental activism by sporting an
Earth First!Earth First! tattoo on his right calf. The logo is of a pipe wrench
crossed with a stone hammer.
Vedder was a longtime and outspoken supporter for the Free the West
Memphis Three movement, a cause that advocated the release of three
young men who were convicted in 1994 of the gruesome murders of three
boys in West Memphis, Arkansas. In an interview with
Larry KingLarry King on
December 19, 2007, Damien Echols, who was then on death row for the
murders, said that Vedder had been the "greatest friend a person could
have" and that he had collaborated with him while in prison.[72] The
song "Army Reserve" on Pearl Jam's 2006 self-titled album features a
lyrical collaboration between Vedder and Echols. On August 19, 2011,
Vedder and
Natalie MainesNatalie Maines attended the release hearing and arranged a
celebration party for them afterwards.
Musical style and influences[edit]

Critic Jim DeRogatis describes Vedder's vocals as a "Jim Morrison-like
vocal growl".[73] Greg Prato of
AllMusicAllMusic said, "With his hard-hitting
and often confessional lyrical style and Jim Morrison-esque baritone,
Vedder also became one of the most copied lead singers in all of
rock."[74] Vedder has inducted The Doors, Neil Young, the Ramones, and
R.E.M.R.E.M. into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and in his induction
speeches he has cited them all as influences. Other influences that
Vedder has cited include Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp, Led
Zeppelin, Aerosmith, U2, The Who, Pink Floyd, The Jackson 5, The
Beatles, Frank Zappa,
Tom PettyTom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Elvis Costello,
Talking Heads, Sonic Youth, Fugazi, Tom Waits, Huey Lewis, Bob Dylan,
and the Pixies.[75][76]
Vedder was heavily inspired by the early Jethro Tull sound, stating
that: "I'm a big fan of Jethro Tull, and I listen to this record
[Stand Up] every night before I go on stage!"[77]
Vedder's lyrical topics range from personal ("Alive", from Ten;
"Better Man", from Vitalogy) to social and political concerns ("Even
Flow", from Ten; "World Wide Suicide", from Pearl Jam). His lyrics
have often invoked the use of storytelling and have included themes of
freedom, individualism, and sympathy for troubled individuals.[78]
Other recurring themes include the use of water metaphors,[79] as well
as the idea of leaving everything behind to start again (featured in
such songs as "Rearviewmirror", from Vs.; "MFC", from Yield;
"Evacuation", from Binaural; and "Gone", from Pearl Jam).
Although best known as a vocalist, Vedder also plays guitar on many
Pearl JamPearl Jam songs, beginning with the Vs. songs "Rearviewmirror" and
"Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town". When the band
started, Gossard and McCready were clearly designated as rhythm and
lead guitarists, respectively. The dynamic began to change when Vedder
started to play more rhythm guitar during the
VitalogyVitalogy era. McCready
said in 2006, "Even though there are three guitars, I think there's
maybe more room now. Stone will pull back and play a two-note line and
Ed will do a power chord thing, and I fit into all that."[80] Vedder's
guitar playing helped the band's sound progress toward a more
stripped-down style; the songs "Rearviewmirror" and "Corduroy" (from
Vitalogy) feature Vedder's raw, punk-influenced guitar playing. As he
had more influence on the band's sound, Vedder sought to make the
band's musical output less catchy. He said, "I felt that with more
popularity, we were going to be crushed, our heads were going to pop
like grapes."[75] He has also contributed performances on the ukulele,
harmonica, accordion, and electric sitar to various Pearl Jam
recordings. In 2012 his black Fender Telecaster was featured in a
painting by modern artist Karl Haglund.
'Weird Al' Yankovic'Weird Al' Yankovic wrote the song "My Baby's in Love with Eddie
Vedder" for his album Running with Scissors.
Local HLocal H also wrote a song
involving Eddie simply named "Eddie Vedder" which appeared on their
1996 album As Good as Dead.
Vedder himself has influenced many musicians including UK indie folk
singer-songwriter David Knowles.[81]
Live performances[edit]
Throughout Pearl Jam's career, Vedder has interacted with the crowd
during the band's concerts. Early in Pearl Jam's existence, Vedder and
the band became known for their intense live performances. Vedder
participated in stage diving as well as crowd surfing. During the
early part of Pearl Jam's career, Vedder was known to climb the stage
lighting rig and hang from the stage roof. Looking back at this time,
Vedder said, "It's hard for us to watch early performances, even
though that's when people think we were on fire and young. Playing
music for as long as I had been playing music and then getting a shot
at making a record and at having an audience and stuff, it's just like
an untamed force...a different kind of energy. And I find it kind of
hard to watch those early performances because it's so just fucking,
semi-testosterone-fueled or whatever. But it didn't come from jock
mentality. It came from just being let out of the gates."[82]

Vedder began incorporating social commentary and political criticism
into his lyrics and performances early in his career with Pearl Jam.
He usually comments on politics between songs, often to criticize U.S.
foreign policy. During Pearl Jam's 1992 appearance on
MTVMTV Unplugged,
Vedder stood atop his stool, took out a marker pen, and wrote
"pro-choice" down his arm in large letters when the band performed the
song "Porch". During Pearl Jam's 2007
LollapaloozaLollapalooza headlining show,
Vedder and the band played a song telling the crowd in Chicago to
boycott the oil company B.P. Amoco because they had been polluting
Lake Michigan.[83]
Legacy[edit]

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (December
2015)

Vedder has been ranked at #7 on a list of "Best Lead Singers of All
Time", compiled by Rolling Stone.[84] and
Loudwire put him at #36 on
their Top 50 Hard Rock + Heavy Metal Frontmen[85] Other singers like
Roger DaltreyRoger Daltrey of The Who[86] and
Bruce DickinsonBruce Dickinson of
Iron MaidenIron Maiden have
praised him for his singing ability.[87]
Personal life[edit]
Vedder attended San Dieguito High School, now called San Dieguito
Academy. Vedder donated proceeds from a 2006
Pearl JamPearl Jam concert in San
Diego toward the construction of a theater for the school in the name
of his former drama teacher, Clayton E. Liggett. Liggett was Vedder's
mentor in high school. Vedder wrote the song "Long Road" (from Merkin
Ball) upon hearing of Liggett's death in 1995.[88] Vedder was a friend
of Alice in Chains's lead singer Layne Staley, and wrote the song
"4/20/02" in the night that he found out about Staley's death on April
20, 2002.[89] Vedder also paid tribute to Staley during a Pearl Jam
show in Chicago on August 22, 2016, which would be Staley's 49th
birthday; “It’s the birthday of a guy called
Layne StaleyLayne Staley tonight,
and we’re thinking of him tonight too. 49 years old”, Vedder told
the crowd before dedicating the song
Man of the HourMan of the Hour to his late
friend.[90]
In 1994, Vedder married his longtime girlfriend, musician Beth
Liebling. The couple divorced in 2000. Vedder's music style
transformed around this same period with more focus on ukulele and
deeper lyrics.[91] Vedder married his longtime girlfriend, model Jill
McCormick, on September 18, 2010.[92][93][94] They have two
daughters.[95]
Vedder was a close friend of late
SoundgardenSoundgarden and
AudioslaveAudioslave frontman,
Chris Cornell. Cornell was one of the first people Vedder met outside
his
Pearl JamPearl Jam bandmates after moving to
SeattleSeattle in 1990. The two were
neighbors for a while and had shared vocal duties in Temple of The
Dog.
SoundgardenSoundgarden manager Susan Silver recalled in the 2009 book Grunge
Is Dead: The Oral History of
SeattleSeattle Rock Music, that Cornell walked
Vedder onstage at
Pearl JamPearl Jam (then named Mookie Blaylock)'s second show
in Seattle, "
Alice in ChainsAlice in Chains filmed the show at Moore theatre in 1990
and that was the show this new band [Mookie Blaylock] opened for them.
Everyone was still reeling from Andy [Andrew Wood]’s death... and
they hadn’t really played out yet. The band came on and Chris
carried Eddie onto the stage – he was on his shoulders. It was one
of those super powerful moments, where it was all a big healing for
everybody. He came out as this guy who had all the credibility in the
world – in terms of people in
SeattleSeattle – and
Malfunkshun and Mother
Love Bone were loved bands. Andy was such an endearing personality. It
was a hard thing to do – to show up after people die. And Chris
bringing Eddie out, and pointing at him, as much to say, ‘This is
your guy now’.[96][97]
Pearl JamPearl Jam lead guitarist
Mike McCreadyMike McCready said
about their friendship; "Ed was from San Diego and he felt very
intimidated in Seattle. Chris really welcomed him. Ed was super, super
shy. Chris took him out for beers and told him stories. He was like,
"Hey, welcome to Seattle. I love Jeff [Ament] and Stone [Gossard]. I
give you my blessing." From then on he was more relaxed. It was one of
the coolest things I saw Chris do.".[98] In a 2009 interview with
Uncut magazine, Vedder stated that Cornell is "the best singer that
we've got on the planet".[99] About the impact that Cornell had in his
life, Vedder told a crowd in Alpine Valley before performing "Hunger
Strike" with him in September 2011; “I had no idea how he would
affect my life and my views on music and my views on friendship and
what a big impact he would have. These guys [the other members of
Pearl Jam] know him much longer than me and his impact is
profound”.[100][101] The friendship between Vedder and Cornell is
also featured in the 2011 documentary
Pearl JamPearl Jam Twenty.[102][103]
During his solo concert in London on June 6, 2017, Vedder talked for
the first time about Cornell since his death on May 18, 2017, saying
that "he wasn't just a friend, he was someone I looked up to like my
older brother" and "I will live with those memories in my heart and I
will love him forever".[104]
Vedder is a friend of
The WhoThe Who guitarist Pete Townshend, who
discouraged Vedder from retiring in 1993.[105] In late 2007, Vedder
wrote the foreword to a new
Pete TownshendPete Townshend biography, Who Are You: The
Life of Pete Townshend. The book was published in the UK in March 2008
and in the U.S. in October 2008. Vedder was a close friend of the late
RamonesRamones guitarist Johnny Ramone, with Vedder being at his side when he
died. Since Ramone's death, Vedder and
Pearl JamPearl Jam have played the
Ramones' "I Believe in Miracles" regularly at live shows. While
driving home from Ramone's funeral, Vedder wrote the lyrics for the
Pearl JamPearl Jam song "Life Wasted" (from Pearl Jam).[75] He is also a friend
of famed surfers Kelly Slater, Laird Hamilton, and fellow musicians
Jack Johnson and Ben Harper. He was featured with
Laird HamiltonLaird Hamilton in an
episode of the documentary series Iconoclasts in 2006. While surfing
with
Tim FinnTim Finn in New Zealand on March 25, 1995,[106] Vedder was
carried 250 feet (76 m) off the coast and had to be rescued by
lifeguards.[107] He also has paddled outrigger canoes on occasion and
in 2005 was nearly lost at sea trying to paddle from Moloka'i to
Oahu.[108]

Vedder is a
Chicago BullsChicago Bulls and
Chicago BearsChicago Bears fan and a long-time,
die-hard fan of the Chicago Cubs.[109] He attended many of the Cubs'
2016 playoff games and was in attendance, along with fellow Cubs fans
John Cusack, Bill Murray,
Bonnie HuntBonnie Hunt and
Craig Gass during the Cubs'
historic Game Seven victory during the 2016 World Series. Vedder also
became a fan of the
SeattleSeattle SuperSonics while he was living in
Seattle, and could be spotted at
KeyArenaKeyArena many nights attending Sonics
games, prior to their relocation in 2008. He is friends with several
Chicago sports figures, including former White Sox pitcher Jack
McDowell, former Bulls player Dennis Rodman, former Blackhawks player
Chris Chelios, Cubs GM
Theo EpsteinTheo Epstein and former Cubs pitcher Kerry
Wood. Vedder occasionally wears a
Walter PaytonWalter Payton jersey while
performing onstage. Vedder was wearing a White Sox hat given to him by
McDowell during Pearl Jam's 1992
Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live and
MTVMTV Unplugged
appearances.
In November 1993, Vedder and McDowell were involved in a bar room
brawl in New Orleans, Louisiana that resulted in Vedder being arrested
for public drunkenness and disturbing the peace.[110] The Pearl Jam
song "Black, Red, Yellow" (from the "Hail, Hail" single) is about the
Rodman/Michael Jordan/Phil Jackson-era
Chicago BullsChicago Bulls teams.[111] The
middle of the song features a voice-mail message Rodman left for
Vedder asking Vedder to return his call. Vedder sang the national
anthem before the third game of the
1998 NBA Finals in Chicago,[112]
and has sung "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" at six Cubs games,
including Game 5 of the 2016 World Series. In 2007, a few days before
performing with
Pearl JamPearl Jam in Chicago for Lollapalooza, he threw out
the first pitch at Wrigley Field, the home of the Cubs.[113] Vedder
wrote a song at the request of former Cubs shortstop and first baseman
Ernie BanksErnie Banks paying tribute to the Cubs called "All the Way".[114][115]
On September 18, 2008, the song was made available for digital
download via Pearl Jam's official website for US$0.99.[116] The day
after the Cubs won the 2016 World Series, the Cubs' official Twitter
account posted a montage video backed by Vedder's song in a tribute to
Cubs fans.[117]
Discography[edit]
Solo discography[edit]

1996
Late Show with David Letterman
performer
song: chorus to "Black" with
Paul ShafferPaul Shaffer & the CBS Orchestra[143]
February 27, 1996

38th Grammy Awards
himself
Pearl JamPearl Jam won Best Hard Rock Performance for the song, "Spin the Black
Circle"^[143]
February 28, 1996

Late Show with David Letterman
performer*
songs: "Hail, Hail" and "Leaving Here"[143]
September 20, 1996

1998
Late Show with David Letterman
performer*
song: "Wishlist"[143]
May 1, 1998

Late Show with David Letterman
himself
Behind the Music parody about Paul Shaffer[143]
May 21, 1998

1999
Late Show with David Letterman
performer
songs: "Heart to Hang Onto" and "Magic Bus" with Pete
Townshend[143][144]
July 28, 1999

2000
Late Show with David Letterman
performer*
song: "Grievance"[143]
April 12, 2000

2001
America: A Tribute to Heroes
performer
songs: "Long Road" with
Mike McCreadyMike McCready &
Neil YoungNeil Young and "America
the Beautiful" with Willie Nelson, et al. (benefit concert for the
victims of the September 11 attacks)[145][146]
September 21, 2001

2002
Late Show with David Letterman
performer*
song: "I Am Mine"[143]
November 14, 2002

Late Show with David Letterman
performer*
song: "Save You"[143]
November 15, 2002

2004
Late Show with David Letterman
performer*
song: "Masters of War"[143]
September 30, 2004

*denotes performance with Pearl Jam
**note: "Animal" performed with
Pearl JamPearl Jam and "Rockin' in the Free
World" performed with
Neil YoungNeil Young & Pearl Jam
^note: In the acceptance speech, Eddie notoriously states, "I don't
know what this means, I don't think it means anything."
^^note: Vedder also performed the songs: "Mary Anne with the Shaky
Hand" & "Getting in Tune" with The Who, but they were not released
on the DVD.

Live on Two Legs
Official Bootlegs
Live at Benaroya Hall
Live in NYC 12/31/92
Live at Easy Street
Live at the Gorge 05/06
Live at
LollapaloozaLollapalooza 2007
Live on Ten Legs
Pearl JamPearl Jam Twenty
9.11.2011 Toronto, Canada
Let's Play Two

"You Haven't Seen the Last of Me" Music & Lyrics by Diane Warren
(2010)
"Masterpiece" Music & Lyrics by Madonna,
Julie Frost and Jimmy
Harry (2011)
"Skyfall" by
AdeleAdele Adkins and
Paul Epworth (2012)
"Ordinary Love" by U2 and Danger Mouse (2013)
"Glory" by Common and
John LegendJohn Legend (2014)
"Writing's on the Wall" by Sam Smith and
Jimmy Napes (2015)
"City of Stars" by Justin Hurwitz, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (2016)
"This Is Me" by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (2017)